diff --git a/client/.env b/client/.env
index e69de29..2d1bf5f 100644
--- a/client/.env
+++ b/client/.env
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+VITE_API_BASE_URL=
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/client/.storybook/main.js b/client/.storybook/main.js
index 4acfaf0..b7f27e9 100644
--- a/client/.storybook/main.js
+++ b/client/.storybook/main.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-
-
 /** @type { import('@storybook/react-vite').StorybookConfig } */
+import { mergeConfig } from 'vite';
+
 const config = {
   "stories": [
     "../src/**/*.mdx",
@@ -12,6 +12,23 @@ const config = {
     "@storybook/addon-a11y",
     "@storybook/addon-docs"
   ],
-  "framework": "@storybook/react-vite"
+  "framework": "@storybook/react-vite",
+
+  // --- ADDED THE PROXY INJECTION HERE ---
+  async viteFinal(config) {
+    return mergeConfig(config, {
+      server: {
+        proxy: {
+          '/api': {
+            target: 'http://vdap.org:8082',
+            changeOrigin: true,
+            secure: false,
+          },
+        },
+      },
+    });
+  },
+  // --------------------------------------
 };
+
 export default config;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/client/src/components/Widgets/VaaActivity7Day.stories.jsx b/client/src/components/Widgets/VaaActivity7Day.stories.jsx
index ae00c40..9f1b698 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Widgets/VaaActivity7Day.stories.jsx
+++ b/client/src/components/Widgets/VaaActivity7Day.stories.jsx
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ export const Populated = {
         msw: {
             handlers: [
                 // Intercept the exact URL your component is trying to fetch
-                http.get('*/api/v2/dvar_vaa', () => {
+                http.get('*/api/v2/comm_coor_vaa', () => {
                     // Return a 200 OK with the mock JSON
                     return HttpResponse.json(mockData);
                 }),
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ export const ServerCrash = {
     parameters: {
         msw: {
             handlers: [
-                http.get('*/api/v2/dvar_vaa', () => {
+                http.get('*/api/v2/comm_coor_vaa', () => {
                     // Return a 500 Error
                     return new HttpResponse(null, { status: 500 });
                 }),
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ export const EmptyData = {
     parameters: {
         msw: {
             handlers: [
-                http.get('*/api/v2/dvar_vaa', () => {
+                http.get('*/api/v2/comm_coor_vaa', () => {
                     return HttpResponse.json([]);
                 }),
             ],
diff --git a/client/src/hooks/useVdapApi.js b/client/src/hooks/useVdapApi.js
index c486b31..ed369db 100644
--- a/client/src/hooks/useVdapApi.js
+++ b/client/src/hooks/useVdapApi.js
@@ -11,10 +11,13 @@ export default function useWidgetApi(endpoint) {
             setError(null);
 
             try {
-                const baseUrl = import.meta.env.VITE_API_BASE_URL || 'http://web-api:8000';
-                // Strip leading slashes to prevent double slashes in the URL
-                const cleanEndpoint = endpoint.startsWith('/') ? endpoint.slice(1) : endpoint;
-                const url = `${baseUrl}/${cleanEndpoint}`;
+                // CHANGED: Fallback is now an empty string.
+                const baseUrl = import.meta.env.VITE_API_BASE_URL || '';
+
+                // CHANGED: Ensure the endpoint always starts with a slash
+                // so it resolves perfectly as a relative path to the root domain.
+                const cleanEndpoint = endpoint.startsWith('/') ? endpoint : `/${endpoint}`;
+                const url = `${baseUrl}${cleanEndpoint}`;
 
                 const response = await fetch(url);
 
@@ -37,7 +40,7 @@ export default function useWidgetApi(endpoint) {
         if (endpoint) {
             fetchData();
         }
-    }, [endpoint]); // Re-fetch if the endpoint changes
+    }, [endpoint]);
 
     return { data, isLoading, error };
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/client/vite.config.js b/client/vite.config.js
index 5757f5b..95d0a2e 100644
--- a/client/vite.config.js
+++ b/client/vite.config.js
@@ -13,15 +13,28 @@ const dirname = typeof __dirname !== 'undefined' ? __dirname : path.dirname(file
 // More info at: https://storybook.js.org/docs/next/writing-tests/integrations/vitest-addon
 export default defineConfig({
   plugins: [react(), jsconfigPaths()],
+
+  // --- ADDED THE SERVER PROXY HERE ---
+  server: {
+    proxy: {
+      '/api': {
+        target: 'http://vdap.org:8082', // The remote internet API
+        changeOrigin: true,             // Tricks the remote server into accepting the request
+        secure: false,                  // Set to true later when you upgrade to HTTPS
+      },
+    },
+  },
+  // -----------------------------------
+
   test: {
     projects: [{
       extends: true,
       plugins: [
-      // The plugin will run tests for the stories defined in your Storybook config
-      // See options at: https://storybook.js.org/docs/next/writing-tests/integrations/vitest-addon#storybooktest
-      storybookTest({
-        configDir: path.join(dirname, '.storybook')
-      })],
+        // The plugin will run tests for the stories defined in your Storybook config
+        // See options at: https://storybook.js.org/docs/next/writing-tests/integrations/vitest-addon#storybooktest
+        storybookTest({
+          configDir: path.join(dirname, '.storybook')
+        })],
       test: {
         name: 'storybook',
         browser: {